


Bring him home.

by Elit3



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fever, Hurt Gwaine (Merlin), Kidnapping, M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit, Protective Lancelot (Merlin), Protective Merlin, Rescue, Serious Injuries, Sleepy Cuddles, Torture, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 15:34:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30007044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elit3/pseuds/Elit3
Summary: After Gwaine is kidnapped, it takes Merlin and Lancelot several weeks to find him. But the story doesn't end with Gwaine's rescue because now comes the hard part: getting him home.
Relationships: Gwaine & Lancelot (Merlin), Gwaine/Lancelot (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)
Kudos: 11





	Bring him home.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic take place between the season 3 and 4. I hope that you will like ! If you don't ship Lancelot/Gwaine you can think of them as friends.

It had been several days now since Gwaine had disappeared.

On the first day, all the knights close to Prince Arthur had believed their companion was sobering up somewhere in the back of a tavern.

There had been a slight concern, Gwaine usually responded present during practice, but then Leon made a joke that it was good to hear the silence after months spent in the presence of the infuriating knight and all the other knights laughed and quickly forgot their worry.

On the third day, Prince Arthur ordered Elyan and Perceval to search the taverns. The two knights returned empty-handed: no one had seen or heard of Gwaine.  
The disappearance of Camelot's knight was strange and raised questions, but everyone was familiar with Gwaine's wandering tendencies.

And not having time to worry about the fate of their comrade disappeared, Perceval, Lancelot, Elyan, Leon and Arthur concluded that Gwaine had gone to rescue a young lady in distress - which had already happened three times in the past, like the time Gwaine and Lancelot were gone for two weeks while giving very little news of where they were.

The only one who sensed something was going on was Merlin. The young wizard knew Gwaine and feared that something bad had happened to the knight. He didn't even need magical power to feel it. Yet when he told the prince about it, Arthur told him that Gwaine was a knight, that he knew how to defend himself and that he must have had to leave in a hurry to fulfill his duties. Gaius also told him not to worry, but Merlin knew his mentor didn't approve of the knight's nonchalant behavior.   
The only one who allayed Merlin's fears a little was Lancelot, who promised to go looking for Gwaine if he was not back within two weeks.

The first week passed as usual despite the disappearance of the Camelot Knight. All the other knights at the round table laughed at the silence that now reigned between them without Gwaine's perpetual remarks. It was like a week off as Arthur said. But secretly, all hoped that silence would weigh on them only during that week.

On the eighth day, Arthur quietly asked six of his knights to search the nearest towns.

Then on the tenth day, a young woman arrived at the castle and asked to speak to the Prince of Camelot.

All the knights were present in the great hall to listen to what the young woman had to say. According to her, Gwaine had left to rescue his village but the situation needed more time and therefore the knight had to stay in the village for another week. So he would have asked her to come over here to give the prince a letter signed by Gwaine's hand. Arthur authenticated the letter which was written in the same unstructured and illegible style of the knight.

The story could have ended there: the young woman looked like a pretty damsel in distress - tall, slender, blonde with big blue eyes and a little harmless look on her face - and Gwaine, as a knight, had answered the call for help and would be back in Camelot in no time.

Except that it was without relying on the insight of Arthur's servant, and his magic, for Merlin, only had to touch the letter to know it was fake. A vulgar magic replica.  
Now he was sure: something bad had happened to Gwaine and someone was trying to cover his tracks, to buy time. But for what reasons? Merlin suspected that Gwaine had enemies in every realm, but who would be foolish enough to attack a Camelot's Knight?

“My prince,” began Lancelot, who was kneeling before Arthur's throne, “with your blessing I would like to join Gwaine in lending a hand. "

"Are you bored of life in Camelot already, Lancelot?" 

"No, Arthur, but I'm sure we all miss Gwaine's presence among us." Laughters echoed in the throne room. “Plus, I'd like to test my blade against those who can resist Gwaine. "

"Alright, go. But try to come back in two weeks. Camelot needs you both. "

Lancelot nodded, got up, and walked towards the stables. Merlin slipped out to talk to the knight.

"Don't worry, I know what to do," Lancelot began teasingly as he put a pack on his horse's back.

"That's not it ... But I feel like something bad is happening. Be careful, she could be dangerous. "

"So am I," replied Lancelot.

Merlin had already seen the looks Lancelot and Gwaine gave each other when they thought no one was looking, especially not the other. So once again the wizard wondered what kind of relationship the two had. He had tried to tell Gwaine about it before, but the Knight blushed and stammered before he made a joke and left in a hurry.

“Merlin is right,” the newcomer replied, “who knows what kind of trouble Gwaine got into this time. "

Lancelot and Merlin turned to see three red cloaks, Leon approached his fellow knight while Perceval and Elyan walked over to Merlin's side.

"Bring him home." Leon had a solemn look on his face.

" I promise you to do everything in my power to bring him back." The two knights exchanged a handshake, then Lancelot mounted his steed. "With luck, he's going around all the taverns between the village and Camelot." 

Lancelot tried to be optimistic as he left but it didn't work because no one was laughing. In fact, for the first time in nearly two weeks, the three knights appeared to be concerned.

The days passed slowly in Camelot. Merlin spent his time serving the prince who was even more grumpy and bossy than usual. The Knights of the Round Table trained all the same despite Lancelot and Gwaine's absence, and they were tired of filling the void left by two of their members.

During those two weeks, Camelot had been loud as usual yet the silence had never been so oppressive. The absence of the king was already a source of anguish, although Arthur fulfilled his role of prince to the best of his ability, but there it was as if part of the joy of the kingdom had magically vanished. . In any case, that’s how the Knights of the Round Table felt. Everyone would have paid to silence Gwaine for an hour, but now they would give anything to hear the missing knight's voice.  
Finally, the fourteenth day arrived. Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, and the Knights were eagerly awaiting Lancelot's return. It was finally in the evening that a lackey told the prince that the knight had been spotted in the lower town.

"Was there another person accompanying Sir Lancelot?" 

“No, my Prince. Sir Lancelot was spotted alone. "

All hope was now lost. Lancelot had not found Gwaine.

Indeed, Lancelot entered the throne room alone. The knight looked paler than usual, thinner, and dirtier. In addition, deep circles were under his eyes. He fell to his knees before Arthur’s throne as if these last forces had just left him.

The prince did not ask the knight whether he had found Gwaine or not. And the knight did not answer the silent question. The answer was obvious.

"The young woman lied to us," were the first words Lancelot said since his return. The prince had insisted that the knight eat something, so all the knights of the round table were now seated with plates untouched in front of them. “I started my journey by following her. I thought she would lead me to her village but instead of going east as she told us, she headed west. "

"So her village doesn't exist?" Leon asked.

"The woman must have sensed my presence or suspected that one of us would follow her because she managed to lose me. Having lost track of her and not wanting to return empty-handed, I went to see if the village really existed. It exists but the villagers have never seen the young woman or ... " 

"Is that Gwaine's necklace around your neck?" Asked Merlin in curiosity when he saw the necklace Gwaine always had around someone else's neck.

“Merlin!" Arthur scolded him.

"What ?! Gwaine told me himself that he would never take that necklace off. "

"He told me the same thing," Percy added.

"Where did you find it?" Elyan asked.

“On the way back between the village and Camelot. It was only luck that I was able to find him. It had been sunk into the earth and only the reflection of the sun on it allowed me to see it." Lancelot realized he was unconsciously touching the necklace around her neck and stopped in his movement.

"Either it fell from Gwaine's neck by accident…"

"Either Gwaine left us a clue!" 

“Merlin…! I was going to say it. "

"That's what I thought too. Merlin? Can you go get me a map?" The young man complied and returned in record time. The plates - all untouched - were moved to place the card on the table. “There are two other villages a few kilometers from each other. I went there but nobody saw a thing. I also searched the forest but there was no clue. Since I only had a few days left, I preferred to come back. "

“You did well, Lancelot". Arthur congratulated. "We'll all be leaving at dawn to where you found the necklace and we'll meet up with Gwaine. "

Arthur left the room with Merlin at his heels and all the other knights also left after talking a bit with Lancelot to prepare for the future expedition.

The young wizard was now in his bed, he was tired but couldn't sleep. The worry gnawed at him more and more.

Merlin was half asleep when he heard sudden knocks being knocked on the wooden door. Merlin then left his room and as he opened his door he saw Lancelot talking to Gaius. The knight wore his war armor with his hauberk and his cloak with the coat of arms of Camelot.

"We can't wait, Gwaine doesn't have time to wait for the preparations to be completed," Lancelot explained, although the reason for his presence is still a mystery, "I made the trip in four days with a horse tired but with two horses full of energy and with little break, we can be there in two days. "

"Do you want to go back and get Sir Gwaine now? Only with Merlin and without the other knights? "

"We both know Merlin can do things other people can't," Lancelot replied. "Can you do something? find Gwaine with your magic? "

"I think I read a locate spell but I'll need something that belongs to Gwaine. "

"In that case, it's a good thing we have this." Lancelot pointed to the necklace around his neck.

"So what is it exactly?" Lancelot asked as he and Merlin rode in the direction the necklace indicated. "Some kind of magic compass?" 

"No, plus one… hm… yes, that's a magic compass. The more light it shines, the closer Gwaine will be. "

"Alright, then let's hurry and make the necklace as bright as possible." 

The two men arrived at the place where Lancelot had found Gwaine's necklace after two days of intense walk. The magic compass shone much brighter than it had before. Lancelot only had to step in one direction and check the shine of the necklace. They left the road to go east for a good ten minutes, then had to turn back to go even further east.

Finally, Merlin and Lancelot had to hide behind a bush because, a few feet away, a cave was guarded by two armed men. The knight motioned for his friend to stay in hiding as he walked arround the cave, climbed to be on top of the two mercenaries, then knocked out one by throwing a stone on his head and jumped on the second to destabilize him. He and the wizard tied the two men up and then walked towards the cave entrance.

Lancelot checked the collar which seemed to vibrate against his collarbone, they were in the right direction.

He motioned for Merlin to follow him and the two entered the cave.

The two made a good team with Lancelot’s swordsmanship and Merlin’s magic.

They were in the middle of the cave when a faint cry echoed against the rock faces. Merlin and Lancelot had no trouble recognizing Gwaine's voice. The two men redoubled their efforts and quickly brought their opponents to the ground.

They ran in the direction of the voice and stopped at the sight of dread before them: a mercenary was holding a knife against the throat of Gwaine who was on his knees.

The knight was in a mess and was almost unrecognizable: his face was bleeding all over, his hair had lost its shine so much it was greasy and hung down in front of his face, his clothes were dirty, torn, and looked too big. A gag had been on his mouth to keep him from screaming again, not as if he could have spoken to them since Gwaine seemed to be struggling not to fall asleep.

" Let him go!" Lancelot threatened in a cold and full of hate voice. 

" Or what? hm ?! Are you going to risk the life of your precious knight?" The man with the rotten tooth and the big belly tugged at Gwaine's hair who gave a broken sob. "You should have heard him scream like a village's whore." He touched the knight's cheek who then twitched, the man laughed. "So you will let me pass or this knife will end up in ..."

The man could never finish his sentence because a rock from the wall broke loose and smashed against the back of the mercenary's skull.

“Why do bad guys always have to give speeches? "

Lancelot rushed over to grab Gwaine who began to fall forward now that his assailant was no longer holding him. Fortunately, he was pretty quick and Lancelot gently settled the injured knight against his chest. He felt Merlin kneel down on Gwaine's other side but didn't care. Not while his friend was half-conscious and bleeding all over.

“Lance…?" Gwaine whispered in a very small broken voice, "Is that… really… you?" 

It hurt the other two men to hear that Gwaine wasn't sure anyone would come for him. Like he was going to be left to fend for himself.

"Yes, that's me," Lancelot replied simply.

Gwaine's eyes were starting to droop and a small smile graced his lips. "Y-you took your time. "

"My horse refused to go any faster," Merlin replied.

Gwaine's laugh quickly turned into a cough that sounded painful. The apprentice doctor touched the knight's cheek to feel it cold, too cold. He looked in the direction of Lancelot who must already be feeling the weak body heat of their injured friend.

"I'm going to lift you up, okay? "

Lancelot received no response except for a slight nod.

One of his arms was already behind Gwaine's back so he only had to move the other under the injured man's knees to wear it bridal style. Lancelot had tried to be as gentle as possible but a hoarse cry still came from Gwaine's quivering lips.

"Gwaine, are you okay? Gwaine? Gwaine! "

"He's unconscious, the pain must have gotten the better of him," Merlin tried to comfort. "I need to see the damage as soon as possible before we get back to Camelot. "

Lancelot nodded, being far too aware of the too-light body in his arms. "We passed by a river earlier, let's go. "

The two walked slowly out of the cave. Even though Gwaine was unconscious and didn't weigh much in Lancelot's arms, every step seemed to cause him discomfort.  
The journey was slow as Lancelot was extremely careful of where he was walking. He walked towards the river carrying his precious burden as Merlin followed him with the two horses.

They reached the river after about fifteen minutes and Lancelot was able to put Gwaine down after Merlin had laid the sheets on the ground. The wounded knight moaned in spite of the delicacy of the movement and the sweat beaded his forehead.

Lancelot hesitated between helping the wizard to remove the blood and dirt from Gwaine's body but the young knight was shaking with cold so Lancelot went to get some kindling.

Making the fire was easy, Lancelot set to heat the rest of the stew Merlin had made yesterday, as well as some water, and he placed his cloak near the fire to warm it up.

Then he went to help Merlin who was not done yet. The young man had cut Gwaine's shirt and was cleaning his chest. So Lancelot took another rag and proceeded to clean his friend's face.

Gwaine's face was in a mess. It took several minutes for Lancelot to remove as much blood and dust as possible from the knight's face. When Gwaine's face was clean enough, Lancelot could see the bruises and cuts, the broken nose and swollen eye that had been obscured by the dark hair fringe. He put his hand gently on Gwaine's cheek and Gwaine subconsciously leaned over the touch. 

" How is he ? "

"It's not good," Merlin whispered, "Gaius would be much better than me at this. But Gwaine has several hurt sides some of which I'm sure are broken but I couldn't put them back on my own. He has several cuts on his chest and stomach, three of which need to be sewn up and cleaned before the infection takes hold of him. Her right shoulder needs to be put back in place and is missing several fingernails. His wrist requires a splint. And he has several bruises and burns. I'm going to have to patch him up now if we want to get him back safe and sound. We were lucky the thugs did everything to keep him alive. "

“Hey, Merlin. You're doing great, okay? Gwaine couldn't have woken up a better doctor. Do what you need. "

Merlin nodded before starting to remove the wounded knight's pants.

"You told me to do what I should do and I need to check his legs. "

Lancelot nodded and helped Merlin remove Gwaine's pants.

"I'm sure you've dreamed of doing this, haven't you?" 

"Not under these conditions," Lancelot whispered.

The two managed to remove the pants but with painful moans of the unconscious man. They both gasped when they saw the deep laceration on Gwaine's right thigh as if a knife had been passed over the same spot several times, his ankle and left knee were red and swollen, and a wound in his left leg had been bandaged. Merlin removed the dirty bandage to see two holes on each end of the calf.

"They shot him an arrow," Lancelot said clearly in disbelief.

"How much do we bet he tried to escape?" Merlin tried to laugh.

" What can I do? "

"Sew the wounds on his chest, they're not deep but it may continue to bleed. I'm going to put spells on his ribs since I can't tell the internal damage. "  
"What about his legs?" "

“The wounds are too deep. Gaius has given me several creams, so we're going to put as much as possible on his wounds there and wrap them up to prevent infection. Once that's done, you'll have to help me put Gwaine's shoulder back in place. He is at risk of long-term damage if his shoulder is not properly repaired. "  
Lancelot nodded before going to work. He understood why Merlin had given him this mission when he saw the young man's hands shaking above Gwaine's rib cage. The knight's hands were also shaking but he was used to stitching up his wounds himself so the gesture itself was easy. It applied as much as possible although the injured man's body continued to shake with cold and pain.

Binding Gwaine's legs were easy enough, although Merlin checked the wounds several times for infection. 

"If the infection gets too severe…" Merlin couldn't say the words, but he looked at Lancelot's dagger long enough for Lancelot to understand the hint: If the infection got too severe, then they would have to cauterize the wounds. But Merlin did not wanted to do this now because he knew that Gwaine's body wouldn't endure more pain.

" Are you ready? Three: One… two… three! "

Gwaine's shrill cry echoed throughout the forest. When Lancelot and Merlin returned his shoulder to its socket, the man awoke and struggled with the other knight's hold. Tears of pain rolled down the injured man's cheeks and he whispered pleas.

"Stop ... stop ..."

“It's okay, Gwaine. It's just me and Merlin. No one is going to hurt you. I promise you. "

The younger knight seemed to calm down a bit although tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

“Here, Lance, make him drink. "

Merlin handed him a skin of water which Lancelot took in an attempt to get Gwaine to drink. The man could only take a few sips before choking. Lancelot understood why when he saw the bruises in the shape of hands on his friend's neck.

“You did well, Gwaine. But you have to eat something before you sleep. "

"No more… Lance… make it stop." 

" I know, I know. But it'll do you good, okay? Besides, Merlin cooked it. "

Gwaine nodded weakly and drank some of the stew before his eyes closed on their own.

Unfortunately, they were not finished yet as Merlin asked Lancelot to help him turn Gwaine over to see the condition of his back. The knight's back was littered with whipping or burn marks. The two worked in unison to heal and sew the various wounds. 

"He's never such a good patient as when he's asleep," Merlin laughed after the job was done.

“Especially when you put a sedative in his stew. "

The two laughed, often at the technique used by the Knights of the Round Table and Gaius to most often take the recalcitrant patient to the healer.

They dressed Gwaine in Lancelot's spare clothes which more further showed the weight the knight had lost over the past four weeks. Seeing the blue lips and the chills that continued to run through Gwaine's body, Lancelot removed his hauberk and the warm jacket that was underneath to give it to the injured man. Once done, he additionally placed his cloak which had been heated by fire on the body of his friend who made a happy noise. Lancelot smiled at the young knight's behavior.  
The two men ate by mid-afternoon. They had spent most of the morning and early afternoon healing Gwaine. Merlin performed a spell on the sleeping man again in an attempt to control his fever. Lancelot motioned for Merlin to rest as the night could be harsh. Without Merlin's magic, Gwaine would have already died.

In his free time, Lancelot watched Gwaine for any signs of discomfort and fetched as much wood as possible. He saved the little wood for the fire, and used the other to create a makeshift bed to move the injured man tomorrow. He woke Merlin a little before nightfall, the young man made them food again and they woke Gwaine to feed him, again the wounded knight could only take a few sips of the soup as well as the potions that Merlin forced him to swallow.

Merlin told him to sleep although Lancelot wanted to watch his injured friend, but the young man was right: he would be of no use half awake.

He had slept for three hours now next to Gwaine to provide him with body heat when small moans woke him up. Lancelot stood up to find that Merlin was at the bedside of a shivering Gwaine. The knight was breathing painfully and whispering things that made little sense.

"No… I won't say anything… stop-p…"

Lancelot moved to hold Gwaine who was starting to struggle but he didn't know where to touch so as not to hurt his friend.

"His fever is too high! He hallucinates. "

The knight touched the forehead of the other man, which was hot.

“He has to be cooled or all hope will be lost. "

The two friends looked at the lake which must have been cold at this time of night. Merlin recited incantations while Lancelot undressed. Once done he hugged Gwaine, the task was difficult as the man struggled in his sleep, and Lancelot walked towards the lake. The water was freezing cold but the knight forced himself to keep walking in the water and he only stopped when Gwaine's chest was under the water. The wounded knight cried out in pain and struggled weakly, only Merlin's magic succeeding in calming him even a little.

Lancelot looked at the battered face of Gwaine who had woken up but said not a word. After five minutes the tanned-skinned man decided to return to dry land, the position itself was not disturbing as the water carried most of Gwaine's weight but he didn't want the injured man to be too cold.

Merlin was already waiting for them on dry land and had the blankets and bandages ready. It took them a good 20 minutes to change the bandages and sew up the wounds that had reopened.

The rest of the night passed the same, one of them watching Gwaine while the other slept. They had to repeat the same process twice during the night because the injured person's fever was too high. Merlin had to recite several incantations to help the knight survive the night.

Finally, dawn broke. The two exhausted men ate the rest of yesterday's soup and tried to get Gwaine to drink it, but the knight was too weak to even open his eyes. They had been afraid of losing him several times that night, his chest rising more and more slowly and painfully, and his breathing was soft and painful.

They left before the sun was fully up with Gwaine settled on the bedding between their two horses. What neither Lancelot nor Merlin had foreseen was that the ride would also be unbearable for their friend. With each bump or sudden movement, the knight emitted painful growls. They paused every hour to try to relieve him but with each break, Gwaine's face grew paler and his fever rose.

The two men made the decision to go to the nearest village instead of going to Camelot directly.

They spent the rest of the evening and the night there. A healer helped Merlin heal Gwaine's wounds, she found new wounds that had escaped the wizard's inspection, and she made the decision to cauterize the large wound on the knight's right thigh, along with the other wounds made by the arrow. Lancelot used his gold purse to buy a cart, food, alcohol, hay, and blankets. The healer used the alcohol to remove infections from some of the knight's wounds and even gave him a little drink. She finished her work by tying the ribs of the injured but preferred not to squeeze too hard not to pierce a lung. Gwaine, on the other hand, was a model patient. He did not wake up all day too lost in his feverish dreams and pain. The only sounds that came from his chapped lips were moans of pain.

They left early the next day on the road. This time they were able to go faster because they had comfortably seated Gwaine in the cart.

Lancelot and Merlin had now been gone for four days, so they weren't surprised to meet Arthur, Elyan, Leon, and Percy along the main road.

"You're unconscious! What went through your mind to think you could go alone? No, Merlin! I don't want to hear it! You disobeyed direct orders!"

Arthur went to continue but a painful cough prevented him from doing so. The prince finally seemed to realize the cart behind the horses.

"Did you find him?" Arthur didn't wait for an answer since he went to the back of the cart." Gwaine ... Who did this to him? "

“Mercenaries, but we don't know more. Gwaine is unable to speak. They're in a cave several miles east of here. "

“Elyan and Perceval go and investigate the cave. "

"They're all dead," Merlin informed him.

“They attacked one of my knights, I want to know why. "

Elyan and Perceval quickly took time off to investigate, they too wanted to know why someone would torture their brother.

The other four men swapped the horses of Merlin and Lancelot for Arthur's and Leon's horses. The two new arrivals took the reins of the cart as the other two climbed in the back with Gwaine. Merlin quickly checked the wounds of the unconscious knight and made him drink some potions. When finished, the wizard fell asleep next to his friend. Lancelot lay awake for a long time, too afraid that Gwaine would stop breathing in his sleep. So he took his friend's less injured hand in his and prayed that they would get to Camelot in time.

They arrived two days later in Camelot. They had managed to keep Gwaine's condition stable even though his fever was still too high and he still hadn't woken up.  
Arthur sent Merlin to find Gaius while Leon tended to the horses. Lancelot carried Gwaine into the doctor's room and Arthur gave him a hand by opening the door and removing everything from the table.

The knight and prince removed Gwaine's clothes knowing the healer would want quick access to his patient.

When Gaius arrived in the main room of his apartment, he saw Arthur staring at the wounds on Gwaine's chest and Lancelot trying to console the injured man. The old man approached Gwaine to get a better view of the knight's wounds. Gaius was proud of the care Merlin had given to his friend, but he was also disgusted with what the mercenaries had done to the young man.

He took off all the bandages and checked all the wounds. Gaius had to reopen some to clean them. He applied different kinds of cream depending on the injuries: burns, bruises, or lacerations. The doctor checked the shoulder that had been dislocated. Then he brought his close examination to Gwaine's legs and he spent a lot of time on the deep cut on his patient's right thigh.

"What did they do to him, Gaius?" Arthur asked.

"It is a form of torture that tests sensitivity. Instead of cutting multiple places on the body, the torturers target only one place several times. The first cuts are pretty easy to manage but then it gets worse until the pain is unbearable. "

"The cut goes practically to the bone," Merlin informed them.

"What kind of monster could do that?" Lancelot ran his hand through Gwaine's hair in an attempt to calm the injured man. “No one deserves that kind of treatment, especially not Gwaine. "

Gaius shook his head. He generally didn't approve of Gwaine's behavior but Lancelot was right, the knight was a good person and didn't deserve to be tortured like that.

Once he was done with Gwaine's legs, Gaius checked the knight's fingers. He had to remove the dirt that was clumping on the bare pulpit, and only then could he bandage his patient's fingers.

It wasn't until Gaius was done with Gwaine's back that things got tough. 

“Some ribs need to be put back in place, as well as his breastbone, wrist, and knee. It will hurt, so you will have to hold him to prevent him from moving. "  
It was hard for the three men to find a place to place their hands that wouldn't hurt Gwaine, but they agreed to have Lancelot hold the injured man's shoulders, Arthur one of his legs, and Leon who took the other one. Merlin served as a backup if the knight struggled too hard.

The moment seemed to be frozen in time and to last for an eternity. Gaius was moving the bones expertly and working quickly. Which didn't stop Gwaine from writhing on the table or screaming in pain. The knight struggled so hard that he managed to dislodge Leon's grip on his leg and punch the older knight in the face.

“Let me go!" Yelled Gwaine who despite his open eyes didn't seem to see them. "I won't speak… argh!" "

Lancelot let go of one of his friend's shoulders to force him to look at him: "Look at me! Gwaine, look at me. You're safe, we saved you. Gaius is helping you." The knight nodded when he finally understood what was going on but he tried to see what Gaius was doing but Lancelot stopped him. " No no. Look at me, don't worry about the rest. "

" It hurts… "

“I know, I know… but it's over soon. "

"Promise?" Gwaine asked in a small voice because of the pain in his throat and the fever that still makes him weak. 

“On my honor of Knight. "

"You didn't... have a more... dramatic answer?" Gwaine's sentence ended with a cry as Gaius used the distraction Lancelot had created to put the injured man's wrist back in place. “A warning... would have been... appreciated. "

"And he's back," Leon whispered warmly.

"Alright, you two hold his legs tight." Gaius gave Leon a warning look so that the latter was ready for Gwaine to struggle. "I'll put your knee back at three, Sir Gwaine. One. Two… "

A scream echoed through the apartment.

“You s-said ... t-three! "

"I lied," replied the doctor.

He bandaged Gwaine's knee then went to get some potions which he forced the young man to drink. The doctor touched his patient's forehead to see that Gwaine's fever had increased, only the pain kept the knight in a precarious state of lucidity. Gaius put soup in a bowl to help the intrepid man regain his strength. Behind him, he heard Gwaine weakly apologize to Leon for his bloody nose.

"You have to eat this," Gaius ordered.

"I'm not... hungry," Gwaine replied in a small and painfull voice.

"Gwaine…" berated everyone in the room. 

"Good… since everyone is… against me." Since Gwaine couldn't move a muscle even if he wanted to, Merlin helped him eat. As in the past, the knight could only take a little food. Except for this time, he quickly felt dizzy. "Hang ... on ... you ... wouldn't ..."

The young man fell asleep whispering "traitor." 

"He will need a lot of rest, the mercenaries have used different poisons on him and his fever is still too high, but he will be fine," Gaius informed them.

The old man forced Arthur, Leon, and Merlin to go to rest. He tried to do the same with Lancelot but the knight got a point telling him that he would need someone to carry Gwaine to the extra bed. Once this was done, Lancelot stayed at his friend's bedside.

The fever and the wounds took the best of Gwaine for a week and a half. He lay unconscious for several days, unaware that his friends took turns at his bedside or that cold water wipes were placed on his forehead at regular intervals. The knight's sleep was not easy as he seemed to be having nightmares and his breathing was painful from his injured ribs.

Perceval and Elyan returned four days later with the woman with them. She explained to them that the mercenaries had threatened to kill her family if she didn't do what they wanted. It was for this reason that she had headed in a direction other than that of the village when Lancelot had followed her. And she pleaded her case with the prince, telling him that she had indicated to them where the mercenaries were approximately. In addition, she explained to them that the mercenaries had kidnapped Gwaine so that the latter would reveal all the secrets about Camelot and the royalty to them, and that in Plan B, he would have been used as a hostage. Arthur decided to let her go and wished her the best wishes for her and family.

Gwaine awoke on the ninth day for a few minutes but fell back asleep very quickly, his fever had reached a healthy and stable level but it was still present, not to mention that he was physically and mentally exhausted. The more days passed, the more he gathered strength and stayed awake, although he still spent half of his days asleep. Much to the misfortune of Gaius who had to endure Gwaine's complaints. After the thirteenth day, the old man declared that the knight was no longer in danger of death and that he could continue to rest in his chambers.

In retrospect, Merlin was not that surprised to find Gwaine sitting on the floors of his apartments by his bed the very next day. At the servant's disapproving look, the knight had the decency to look guilty and sheepish. Like a deer caught between two crossbows.

"Gaius told you not to get out of bed," Merlin scolded.

“I was bored,” Gwaine replied sulkily, “could you go get Lance? "

" To do what? "

The knight seemed to search for his words but swallowed his pride and embarrassment to say, "I can't get up! And the ground is cold! So can you please help your sick friend and go get Lance? And could you be ... discreet, please? "

"Alright, I'm going. I think I saw him having breakfast with the other knights. I'll ask him to come and help you! "

“Merlin !! "

At least having to put up with the taunts of his comrades while Lancelot helped him get back into bed taught Gwaine not to go up out of bed.

The thing with Gwaine was that the man often talked to say nothing and complained a lot. Except that he would rather die than admit he was hurt. It was even worse with a severe injury.

So, he complained when Gaius gave him a crutch to walk on but didn't say anything as walking made him nauseous or when the crutch pressed uncomfortably on his wounds or left bruises on his armpit. It was Elyan who noticed the bruises and spoke discreetly about them to Gaius.

Or when he was too tired to attend a council but still went because it was his duty as a knight. Gwaine would eventually fall asleep in the middle of the council with his hand against his cheek, and each time Percy would take him back to his rooms.

It was the same when he had to ride a horse but after a while, the exercise became too much for him, and his still injured ribs. So Leon always gave him some pretext and ordered him to slow down.

Even Arthur was careful not to hit Gwaine with all his might when the two were practicing. And the prince avoided all the wounds of his knight. At the end of each workout, there was a slice of apple pie that was placed on Gwaine's change of clothes.

So, of course, the knight didn't mention a single time in the three months since his return to Camelot what the mercenaries had done or said to him. He kept it all in silence except for the one time Gwaine knelt in front of Arthur and promised him not to have betrayed Camelot or the Crown during his time in captivity. All things considered, Gwaine seemed to be doing well and not having a psychological injury. It was without seeing what was going on behind the closed doors of his apartments.

The knight would often wake up sweating and with flashbacks of torture still permeating his retinas. He usually could calm down and fall asleep again or he would look at Camelot through his apartment window. But there were nights when the memories were too vivid and the pain all too real, when he couldn't breathe on his own or stop the thoughts that were overwhelming him. In those moments, Gwaine felt like he was drowning - which reminded him even more of the times the mercenaries had drowned him - his breathing locked in his lungs and he couldn't breathe or think correctly. Gwaine then did the one thing he knew that would calm him down and went to Lancelot's apartments.

When the older knight was asleep, Gwaine slowly slipped into the other's bed and let Lancelot's breath calm him down, and could sleep without nightmares. Lancelot never mentioned Gwaine's presence in his bed when he woke up. He was just happy that the injured man came to him when he needed it. Besides, he knew that at the slightest allusion, Gwaine would never come back for his help. But sometimes Gwaine wasn't so quiet and Lancelot would wake up. At that point, the knight didn't say anything either and only hugged the other man. Lancelot knew Gwaine would speak if and when he was ready.

"… Thank you," Gwaine said one evening after spending the last ten minutes trying to calm himself down and explain that the mercenaries liked to see him writhing in pain after giving him poison.

" Why? "

"First for coming. I never doubted you or the others, and I knew you would find me eventually but… but I was afraid to be already dead when you did. Well, they kept telling me they needed me alive, but they were days I felt like they forgot about it and were actually going to kill me. And also, to be here now and to listen to me. " 

“We wouldn't have abandoned you. It wasn't the same in your absence. In fact, I had lost hope of seeing you again until I found your necklace, without it Merlin and I would never have found you. "

Gwaine who was half-lying on Lancelot's chest touched his necklace which still hung around the other knight's neck. He hadn't noticed right away that it was his friend who had his necklace because he thought he had lost it forever. “It was a desperate act. I knew there was little chance you or anyone else would find it but it gave me something to hang on to. "

"Do you want me to give it back to you?" Lancelot asked softly.

Gwaine seemed to hesitate for a few seconds: “No, it fits you. Keep it. "

The younger placed his head at the junction of Lancelot's neck and shoulder, a happy breath escaped his lips and he began to fall asleep. Lancelot tightened his arms around the other's body, not afraid of hurting him anymore now that the injuries were almost all gone, he huffed to extinguish the candle and began to fall asleep too with Gwaine's snores as a background's music.

As Knight of the Round Table other dangers hung over their heads and even though they couldn't openly declare their love for each other, they were fine and happy to be able to enjoy these moments of peace in the privacy of Lancelot's room.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a medic so I apologize if the healing part are not accurate.


End file.
